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COLUMBUS— Senators Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) and Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City) joined State Representatives Mike Duffey (R-Worthington) and Al Landis (R-Dover) today to introduce legislation— Senate Bill 263 and House Bill 402—that will require the Ohio Department of Taxation to notify Ohio businesses when they overpay their taxes and provide automatic refunds in the form of credits toward future taxes.

“When a taxpayer makes an overpayment to the state, there is no question that the money belongs to the taxpayer and should be returned,” said Peterson. “Through this legislation, we are making certain that future Tax Commissioners will be required by law to do the right thing and return these overpayments back into the pockets of the taxpayer where it belongs.”

“We have been working hard to make Ohio a state that is friendly to business so we can attract jobs and grow our economy,” said Beagle. “These tax overpayments do not belong in the state’s treasury, they belong in our economy investing into Ohio’s businesses, workers and families. This bill locks that philosophy in as Ohio law.”

“It’s hard to believe that the Department of Taxation did not notify taxpayers when they overpaid,” Rep. Duffey said. “I would expect this to be standard practice, as well as automatic refunds or rollovers. Thankfully, Governor Kasich has embraced reforming this longstanding practice.”

Under current law, overpayments may be refunded, but only upon request and only during the first three or four years, within the statute of limitations. The newly introduced legislation would ensure that taxpayers are notified no later than 60 days before the end of that three- or four-year period.

“I was surprised to discover Ohio taxpayers were not being notified of these overpayments unless they made specific inquiries,” said Rep. Landis. “The State of Ohio should actively notify these businesses so that they can claim the refund that they deserve.”

Last year, Ohio Inspector General Randall Meyer issued an investigation report that found that the Ohio Department of Taxation failed to refund more than $30 million in state taxes overpaid by businesses and often ignored requests for refunds.

The new legislation is being introduced in an effort to prevent future tax overpayments from being claimed by the state without protections for Ohio taxpayers.

COLUMBUS—State Senator Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House) today announced that the Ohio Legislative Service Commission is accepting applications through April 1, 2018 for the 2019 Legislative and Telecommunications Fellowship Program. The Commission will hire 24 fellows to serve in the Ohio General Assembly for the 2019 calendar year.

COLUMBUS—State Senator Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House), co-sponsor of House Bill 1, today announced the unanimous Senate passage of legislation aimed at enhancing protections for individuals who are victims of violence and abuse when they are in a dating relationship with the offender.

COLUMBUS—State Senator Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House) announced that this week the Ohio Senate unanimously passed a plan to reform the process for drawing Ohio’s congressional districts. With a strong bipartisan vote in the Ohio House today, Substitute Senate Joint Resolution 5 will now go before Ohio voters on the May ballot. The passage of Sub SJR 5 follows weeks of negotiations between the leadership of both parties in the General Assembly and various redistricting reform coalitions.